Patterns of mean-level change in personality traits across the life course: A metaanalysis of longitudinal studies

Nom	Patterns of mean-level change in personality traits across the life course: A metaanalysis of longitudinal studies
Publication date	2006
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Abstract	The present study used meta-analytic techniques (number of samples 92) to determine the patterns of mean-level change in personality traits across the life course. Results showed that people increase in measures of social dominance (a facet of extraversion), conscientiousness, and emotional stability, especially in young adulthood (age 20 to 40). In contrast, people increase on measures of social vitality (a 2nd facet of extraversion) and openness in adolescence but then decrease in both of these domains in old age. Agreeableness changed only in old age. Of the 6 trait categories, 4 demonstrated significant change in middle and old age. Gender and attrition had minimal effects on change, whereas longer studies and studies based on younger cohorts showed greater change.
TagCloud	personality change, meta-analysis, mean-level change, personality development
Méthodoogy & Field of research (targeted population & number)	reviewed the reference list from an earlier meta-analysis of rank-order consistency for longitudinal studies ; reviewed additional databases on personality development ; searched the PsychLIT and Dissertation Abstracts databases ; reviewed current issues of relevant journals ; reviewed the references cited in each article for additional studies ; asked knowledgeable colleagues to review the list
Discussion	personality traits show a clear pattern of normative change across the life course ; people become more socially dominant, conscientious, and emotionally stable mostly in young adulthood ; personality traits changed more often in young adulthood than any other period of the life course, including adolescence ; no gender differences in estimates of standardized mean change in the domains of conscientiousness, emotional stability, openness to experience, social dominance and agreeableness ; no relationship between cohort and either social vitality or emotional stability ; unexpected cohort effects for agreeableness and conscientiousness ; attrition had no discernable effect on estimates of mean-level change over time
Limites	a disproportionate number of longitudinal studies of personality have been based on highly educated, middleclass or affluent samples ; the necessity of categorizing various personality measures into the Big Five domains ; the generalizability of the findings (no Africa, Asia)
Ouverture / Perspective	more studies performed on a wider variety of samples (middle-aged, older individuals)
Conclusion	the patterns of personality trait change are intrinsically positive ; people tend to become more socially dominant, conscientious, and emotionally stable through midlife ; the period of young adulthood rather than adolescence is the primary period of mean-level personality trait development ; continued plasticity of personality traits beyond age 30 and well into old age (social vitality, agreeableness, conscientiousness, and openness to experience) ; personality trait development is not just a phenomenon of childhood but also of all adulthood
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